From July until Nov. 5, Siklenka attended only three of 12 council meetings. The Nov. 5 meeting would have been the fourth consecutive one that he’d missed. Under the Community Charter, which sets out the rules of B.C.’s municipal governments, council members are disqualified from serving their three-year term if they miss four consecutive, regularly scheduled meetings or 60 consecutive days “unless the absence is because of illness or injury or is with the leave of the council.”

If someone is disqualified, a byelection must be held — unless the disqualification takes place less than a year before the next scheduled general election.

It doesn’t appear that the two-term councillor is ill. Nor does it appear that he intends to make the 5,000-kilometre return trip from Georgetown, Grand Cayman any time soon. Who could blame him? The Cayman Islands are a tourist destination as well as a tax haven.

The house that Siklenka and his wife, Maxine, own in Saanich is for sale, listed at $939,900 with the promise of immediate possession.

Siklenka’s job as general manager with Cairnview Mechanical ended in September. Company vice-president Stephanie Macpherson refused to discuss the circumstances.

And there’s no suggestion on the website of the Georgetown, Grand Cayman-based Polar Bear Air Conditioning that Siklenka’s job as service coordinator is anything but full-time.

It describes him as having “a wealth of experience, over 35 years!” It goes on to say: “Terry has (worked) as a technician right up to being GM of a multi-million-dollar operation. He is well travelled, self-motivated, a creative and tireless worker. He is married to Maxine and between them they have more kids than the Brady Bunch.”

Not surprisingly, the Vancouver Island municipality is abuzz with rumours.

The only update Siklenka appears to have provided is this unpunctuated, ungrammatical and misspelled post from early Tuesday morning on a group page on Facebook for Brentwood Bay residents:

“Hi all here’s a bit of an up date on whats happening with me a friend of mine asked me to come down and work here for a while to help out. As you all know from the news Haiti got hammered by an earth quake, the Dominican Republic is flooded by sever rain storms I believe 11 people died the other day from flash floods and land slides and top this all off Hurricane Sandy just devastated these countries. Many are living under corrigated plastic or metal roofs and dirt floors. Polar Bear is very active is relief efforts through a local church here in the Caymans.”

It appears that eighteen minutes later, Siklenka posted again saying that Polar Bear is helping rebuild a boys’ orphanage in Haiti and a church in the Dominican Republic. He provided his email address for anyone who wants to donate and then blasted people for “wasting their time and energy chasing me down” and suggested that his critics should “get out there and help the world a little.”

There’s a striking hypocrisy in Siklenka’s comments and his sudden, unexplained departure. “Responsible finances” was his top priority when he ran for re-election only a year ago. Last November, he urged people to vote for him because “I support open and transparent government.”

Yet there’s nothing open or transparent about Siklenka’s paid leave.

It’s worth noting that in July, the Peninsula News Review reported that council unanimously voted to postpone a decision on a contentious condo development because of Siklenka’s absence.

If his presence was crucial then, citizens have a right to ask how council can now manage for six more months without him or a replacement?

Central Saanich taxpayers, council members and Siklenka himself also ought to consider the example set by Tofino Mayor Perry Schmunk last week.

After taking a job that requires him to be in Vancouver four days a week, Schmunk resigned effective Jan. 1 saying that he wasn’t able to serve the community’s needs.

Siklenka’s mysterious departure begs for clarification, especially in a community as deeply divided as Central Saanich.

The rift dates back to 2008 when Siklenka was first elected as part of a pro-development slate that was supported and promoted by the Peninsula Co-op, which wanted to build a new store on agricultural land. Following a citizen complaint that the co-op hadn’t registered as a campaign organizer, which is required under the Local Government Act, the RCMP recommended 19 charges be laid.

The B.C. attorney general’s criminal justice branch refused to lay the charges, saying they weren’t necessary and weren’t in the public interest. And since then, the animosity between those supporting development and those wanting to retain the district’s rural character has only increased.

Whether Siklenka is ill, was granted leave to build orphanages or to take a new job, citizens have a right to know. Only then can they decide whether council was right to allow the Caribbean councillor to keep collecting his salary and then they can make their own choices at the next election.

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Daphne Bramham: B.C. councillor collects his salary while working in the Caribbean

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